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5.10.2013

I recently found out about The Feast Watson Re-Love Project, which has been following the upcycling journey of nine Australian Designers. The challenge requires each designer to transform a worn piece of timber furniture using a range of Feast Watson wood care products. The resulting nine statement pieces are now being auctioned on eBay, giving design enthusiasts the chance to own one of the unique timber creations, with all proceeds going to the Salvos Storesin Australia.

When I discovered that my favourite designs of the group belonged to two fellow design bloggers who I know and love, I decided to put together a couple of questions to ask each of them. I'm really excited to be sharing both their designs and answers with you today!The first belongs to Simone Barter, an interior and props stylist based in Noosa. Simone and I crossed paths a while back and quickly became friends via our blogs, Facebook pages and Pinterest. Like me, Simone loves Scandinavian style and this reflects in her work and inspiring finds which she shares on her lovely blog Style.life.home. Her upcycled chairs immediately caught my eye.

Where did you source the chairs from, and what inspired you to pick these?

Being a chair addict I knew I wanted to find and re-love a chair for my project. I saw the set of four at one of my favourite stores to shop at called Vintage Beach Shack in Noosa and knew I had to re-love them all.

Tell us a bit about your design - the idea, process, products used and end result.

Loving the Scandinavian style, I wanted to create the four chairs to mix together around a dinning room table. My design idea was to use charcoal grey with the pop of pastels to mix it up with the dip paint style. Using the Feast Watson products to bring the timber back to life and making the style come together with the Dulux colours, this was an absolute joy to create. I am a big DIY fan plus I love the end process where all money raised from the Auction goes to the Salvo Stores.

Simone Barter and her upcycled chairs

The second designer is Ella Leoncio, an architect from Melbourne. When Ella's not working on her architecture and interior projects she loves to make and create and is always trying out new hobbies! Her beautiful blog Pages From My Moleskine is where she shares her design inspirations as well as personal adventures. Ella's coffee table has been given a truly remarkable transformation.

Where did you source the coffee table from, and what inspired you to choose it?

I found it on Gumtree and collected it from the dusty corner of someone's garage! Since I was given access to all Feast Watson products, I took this as an opportunity to experiment with finishes. For that reason, I picked a simple piece with a large flat area so the surface treatment could take centre stage.

Tell us a bit about your design - the idea, process, products used and end result.

I wanted to see how shifts in transparency levels could create an interesting graphic. I did this by building up and masking coats of liming wash. Since I see the coffee table as a place where people connect and gather, I adopted a tessellated pattern with interlocking parts for the top. I wanted to keep the focus on the stencilled top, so I used Black Japan stain and varnish for the base. If you want more details of the process, I've documented it here. The final product is a simple, minimal shape with subtle pattern and texture.

Ella Leoncio and her upcycled coffee table

Haven't they both done an amazing job? If you'd like the chance to take home either of these original designs, you have until the 19th of May to bid on eBay. Pop over here for Simone's chairs, and here for Ella's coffee table. Good luck ladies - let's hope lots of money is raised for the Salvo Stores!